"You train best where you are the happiest." -Frank Shorter, American distance runner and Olympic gold-medalistI can 100% whole heartedly agree with that statement! I've worked out 3 times this past week at the fitness center in my office building and it's such a bland little hole in the wall! I haven't been able to get past a certain mileage and the little odometer on the treadmill just crawls along (granted there was no TV in front of my face, which would have made it easier). I MUCH MUCH MUCH prefer being outside on a trail. I ran a long run on Monday outside on the trail and it was so great! The time passed like it was nothing. Nature is rejuvenating to me. I enjoy the solitude of being alone with my thoughts and decompressing my brain. I love seeing all the fall leaves, crunching them underfoot, and the crisp smell of autumn. I can blast away 1300 calories like it's nothing, but inside I monotonously kill myself to burn 300 calories. I definitely train best outside, where I am the happiest. What do you ladies think? Where are you the happiest when working out?
About your "creation boxes," have any of you made them? Since I forgot to post yesterday something for you to put in there, here are two things for you today to work on and put in it:
Positive/Negative People List: List the 25 people that you spend the most time with and decide if they are positive or negative. Limit the toxic people in your life. Is the future you going to be on OTHER people's positive lists?- Personal Inventory: What are your 5 greatest strengths? What are you most proud of in your life? Is the future you going to have new strengths and new things to be proud of in her life?
I ran outside on the trail Monday, went cycling outside Tuesday & did the situps & pushups challenge, ran inside on Wednesday, I hope to get in another good outdoor run today and Saturday & do the situps & pushups challenge those days, too. I haven't tried Nicki's plank workouts yet, but I want to give them a shot this weekend! I love how you all are so dedicated and so pumped up that a bunch of you are doing all this core and upper body work! It makes me really want to stick with it and do great! Thanks for the inspiration and motivation :)
ReplyDeleteI'm the happiest outside, or pre-occupied inside exercising like watching t.v. :) I also love playing with my kids because it doesn't ever feel like exercise when you're all laughing. :) I did my half on Saturday, 1 hour 20 minutes on bike trainer on Monday (that last 20 minutes was pretty slow because I was just finishing a show I was watching) :) Wednesday I did a run outside which was beautiful! I'm enjoying the push up and sit up challenges as well as the other ab exercises. They are killer! I haven't been able to do a lot of them, so I'm thinking I really need it! :) I did notice the snow mobile signs on the trails yesterday, a sad reminder that snow is coming and I won't be running outside much longer! :) Keep up the hard work ladies!!!!! Great job getting outside on your bike Sarah!!! Those clips are tricky....
ReplyDeleteI forgot to mention how sad it was the other day to see Abby leave the Biggest Loser!!! I was really rooting for her!! What a strong woman!
I have been running inside at the gym. I have been able to run longer and harder which is a huge emotional boost. I plan on joining running group on Saturday!!! I have missed it dearly. I started my strength training this week and definately feel it in my arms. I also played volleyball last night! Love it! I have been craving to play some basketball but haven't been able to find ladies that want/able to play. We shall see! Sarah I am exhausted just reading your workout routine! You are amazing!!
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Sarah, when I ran on the treadmill at the Kalahari this weekend I was bored out of my mind! This is the first time in my life that I've been "getting in shape" and haven't had a gym membership. I'm loving being outside!
ReplyDeleteI ran/walked Monday. I'm doing the situp and pushup challenge. My pushups are on my knees, but I suspect that very soon, I will be able to do real pushups!! I'm planning to hit 2 birds with 1 stone this morning and take to dogs to the big park (off PB) and get my run in. It's 2 miles all the way around, mostly in the woods, and not as much distraction as the little park where I've tried to run before.
I go back to work tonight until tues am. I would like to get one more run in over the weekend. The pushups and situps won't be a problem. I haven't tried the plank workout yet, I'm going to give that a try next week.
I haven't started my box... could we have one more week for the challenge? I've been thinking about it, I just haven't done anything yet.
I too am the most happiest when I am outside. It is my time to really think and have some alone time with myself and the Lord. I have noticed I am a better mom and a wife when I can get this time plus I am getting a workout! I love to speed walk and hike and every once in a while, I'll stick a run in there but now with the weather changing and becoming very cold, I don't get out as much and so for now my workouts are limited to inside. I have decided that I do better with some direction. I can't just go to a gym and try and come up with my own work out. I'm fine with the elliptical and treadmill but then I have no idea what I am doing with the weight machines or if I am even doing them right so I like to take classes where there is some instruction plus you get the interaction with other ladies who have the same goals. I love water aerobics probably because it is such a good exercise for your joints and for some reason I feel lighter in the water :) I also love love love pilates, I take a reformer class twice a week and then sometimes I do their mat classes that focus on the abs, buns and upper body and then like I said I go to the gym and do the elliptical and treadmill but I honestly dread those days because it is sooo boring to me. I am thinking about going to this other gym where they offer some step, body pump and cycling classes. I think that is the trick is to find something you like and then you are more likely to stick with it! Hope you all have a great workout this week! Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteGreat job everyone! Sorry I've been out of the loop this week. But, I've been working out everyday! I visited the "machine" downstairs in my house on Monday. (my elliptical) I did yard work for hours on Tuesday. Last night, I had a repeat of my strength training exercises on the floor in my living room while watching tv. I'm so proud of myself this week! I don't typically enjoy working out, but this week, I've been sort of looking forward to it. :)
ReplyDeleteI was also so sad to see Abby leave the Biggest Loser. She's amazing.
I too would like to have the extra week for the box. I think it's a great idea, but have been so swamped this week!
Love all your posts, keep 'em comin'!
I love being outside. The natural light makes me feel better. I went jogging outside on Tuesday. I haven't been jogging since August so it was a good thing. Last winter I jogged outside whenever it was at least 25°F. I want to do that again this year, but it means I need to be jogging outside throughout the fall, getting used to 50's, then 40's, then 30's, which affects my breathing.
ReplyDeleteYesterday I raked leaves and mowed grass. For the remainder of the week I am thinking a bike ride and a jog but if the weather doesn't cooperate, one will be replaced with a DVD. And I'll rake leaves again, which uses my arms and gets my heart rate up.
I am laughing at myself in a good way about the push-ups & sit-ups. Set 3 of four push-ups was tough! Bordering on impossible to keep good form on the fourth push-up. But the sit-ups workout (21,27,21,21,30 - I started at week 3) was difficult but not bad. My upper body strength is a diary of a whimpy kid. ;) I ENJOYED both challenges! I am proud of myself for completing the five sets of push-ups! I think this is a great workout program.
I am going to start the squats challenge next week because I get to start that at week 3, also. My legs were quite sore from the squats initial test and I thought some jogging and walking would be good before pushing the muscles hard again.
The last two days I have felt horrible. I am sick. But yesterday during one of my up swings when I had energy I did my situp and pushup challenge. And then promptly fell asleep laying on the floor after (seriously it was crazy but hilarious and in all fairness we have a tendancy to lay on the floor in our house normally) I haven't gotten to start on my box yet because I have a wedding to go to on saturday and I have been making the dress I am going to wear but I already have a pile of things I am putting in it!
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to share this. I thought it was applicable to our conversations this week. My National VP in Arbonne posted this on Facebook today.
ReplyDeleteAs your success grows, you become more impatient with negative acting people. Some of your friends will not want you to grow, and stay where they are. Friends that don't help you climb will want you to crawl. Your friends will either stretch your vision or choke your dreams. Those that don't increase you, will eventually decrease you.
I mentioned yesterday that I was proud to report that I continued with my push-ups and sit-ups challenge and it was a little easier the second day, I am sore, but a satisfying sore! I did 30 minutes on the treadmill too yesterday and that was great. I haven't had time yet today to do any exercise, it's been a crazy filled day.
ReplyDeleteI would LOVE to workout outside, but with 3 little kids, and a husband who works full time and goes to school full time, it's hard to find my alone time with nature! In fact, it's been a really long time since I exercised outside! Because I have small kids, I do like going to the gym, because at least they have a nursery and I can have some 'alone time' with just me and my ipod! I'm not extatic about going to the gym, but it's what I can do now with my crazy life. I was given a kids bike trailer so that when I want to bike I can take them, but I still don't get that alone/refreshing with nature feeling when I have them with me. I love my kids to pieces, but I can't really get a good burn in when I have them with me.
I got the stuff to do my box yesterday and still have to make it... I've been collecting things as well and hopefully I'll have time tonight to get it together.
I made my box! It is a large jar with pictures and quotes and stuff pasted on the outside. It is really great. I have it in my kitchen where I see it a lot.
ReplyDeleteReading about the pushup and sit up challenges has got me excited. You guys are all doing so great! You have all inspired me to start a challenge. A good way to exercise indoors on these cold rainy fall days.
With many of us doing the push-ups challenge, I was reminded of my former Group Strength instructor saying that many people don't know how to properly stretch their bicep after an upper body workout (think about the stretches you do after your workout...the arm stretches tend to be focused on the tricep). So, here's her instruction:
ReplyDeleteStand with your arms at your sides, palms facing forward. Raise your arms 30° (like you've barely started a jumping-jack). Bend at the wrist, bringing your fingers toward the outside of your elbow. Pull your arms back, so your hands are about 8" behind your body. Feel that good stretch down the inside of your arm. :)
P.S. I jogged outside before lunch, before it started to rain, on a little trail behind our neighborhood. I left the ipod at home and enjoyed the nice leaf sounds under foot. Thanks for motivating me to do it! :)
Amy F.- WOW- KUDOS to you for rocking the gym! You are such an inspiration- if you can make a treadmill work, I can keep trying to give it a shot. It's all mental. Maybe I can bring our big iPod instead of my shuffle and watch a movie while I run. That should help distract me visually instead of me watching the odometer/timer tick away at a snail's pace. Abrey- don't be that impressed- I chose to hibernate instead of run last night- but at least I got in my situps & pushups! And Amy C.- of COURSE I'm doing knee pushups :) And I maxxed out in my initial test at 2 knee pushups :) Hey, you've got to start somewhere, I have to tell myself. But I did TONS this morning for the program- I'm already making progress. After this 6 weeks, I hope to do the whole challenge again but with real from-the-feet-on-the-floor pushups! The situps challenge is going surprisingly well- the "good form" tutorial was really helpful for me- I guess I was never doing them properly before- I was never engaging my abs enough so my neck muscles were always super strained. Now I'm not really engaging my neck at all and I'm really feeling burn all over my abdomen. My smallest two pairs of dress pants and smallest couple pairs of jeans are getting baggier and I am LOVING IT! I am so close to my final size and then I get to buy a new pair of jeans and a new pair of dress pants for work. THAT is motivation :) Nicki- can ((I)) come chase your kids around laughing? Hehe, such cuties :) Can't wait to see you at running group again, Abrey! I am so excited that you're running longer & harder! I am going to have to step up my game :) Amy C.- I need to get out to that dog park w/ Frank, too! Let me know next time you're going and we can jog/walk together! Frank misses his boyfriend ;) I love the message about ignoring negativity, too. Meghan- I love that you said that you're looking forward to working out each day- it's like your body is craving it- that's so AWESOME! Good for you! Sarah F.- raking leaves is intense! Shanda- I hope you feel better soon!! Amy F.- I wish you lived closer so I could watch the kiddos for you! Anything and everything you can do is progress in the right direction. Your two oldest boys are probably big enough to ride bikes while you jog outside w/ the littlest in a stroller? A friend of mine uses her kids as motivators in her jogs outside- her kids (granted they're a tiny bit older than yours) ride their bike and wait at each street corner "C'mon, Mom!" Haha... You're doing such a great job, though! Val, I love that you put your jar where you see it often! Sarah F., thanks for the stretching tip!
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